Celtic edge Dundee 1-0 as Benjamin Nygren gives champions winning start

Celtic began the defence of their Scottish Premiership title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Dundee at Celtic Park, with Benjamin Nygren’s second-half header proving the difference in a match that exposed both the champions’ attacking promise and their lack of sharpness.

The reigning champions took full advantage of opening-weekend slip-ups by Rangers and Hearts, securing all three points despite a far from convincing display. Martin O’Neill’s side created numerous chances but were repeatedly frustrated by poor finishing and an organised Dundee defence, while goalkeeper Viljami Sinisalo was forced into a crucial late save to preserve the win.

Nygren settles a tense contest

Celtic started brightly and should have been ahead early on, but club-record £11 million signing Kasper Hogh squandered two excellent opportunities inside the opening 13 minutes. The Danish striker endured a frustrating debut, later missing a third close-range chance in the closing stages.

Dundee responded with confidence, threatening through Charlie Reilly and Ashley Hay, and they were far from overawed by the occasion. The visitors managed 11 shots during the match and looked capable of snatching a result throughout.

The breakthrough finally arrived in the 52nd minute when Kieran Tierney delivered an inviting cross from the left and Nygren powered a close-range header past Owen Goodman to score Celtic’s first league goal of the season.

Dundee push for an equaliser

Despite falling behind, Dundee continued to attack with purpose and nearly levelled eight minutes from time. Hay’s header appeared destined for the bottom corner, but Sinisalo produced an outstanding diving save to keep the champions in front.

Moments later, Hogh missed yet another clear opportunity before captain Callum McGregor struck the post with a curling effort from the edge of the area, preventing Celtic from putting the game beyond doubt.

The narrow scoreline reflected a contest in which Celtic were dominant in possession but lacked their usual ruthlessness in front of goal.

O’Neill demands improvement

Speaking after the match, Celtic manager Martin O’Neill admitted his side were below their best despite opening the campaign with victory.

“I didn’t think we played particularly well throughout the game, yet amazingly we created some really good chances,” O’Neill said. “Overall, in terms of decisiveness and quality, we can do much better.”

He nevertheless backed Hogh to come good after his difficult debut, insisting the striker would become “an asset to us” once he settled into the team.

Hogh himself remained upbeat, saying he was pleased to make his first league appearance and joking that he would need “some shooting practice” after missing several opportunities.

Positive signs for Dundee

Dundee manager Steven Pressley took encouragement from his team’s performance, praising their bravery, work rate and composure against the champions.

“We were aggressive, we had pressure and we showed a lot of composure with the ball against a very good Celtic side,” Pressley said. “The result is disappointing, but the performance gives us a lot to build on.”

For Celtic, the victory provides an ideal start to their title defence and moves them immediately onto three points. However, with a crucial Champions League qualifier against LASK approaching later this month, O’Neill will expect a significant improvement in both attacking efficiency and overall fluency before sterner tests arrive.